EAST LANSING - Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio and his team were facing possibility of being eliminated from bowl contention heading into the Spartans' final Big Ten game at Minnesota.

The Spartans defeated the Golden Gophers 26-10 to gain bowl eligibility in what their sixth-year head coach described as a program win. Dantonio sees Michigan State's bowl game as another program game.

"When you look at our season right now, it is important that we won this last game and put us in this situation," Dantonio said. "Now, it is equally important to have a program win in our bowl season and springboard us toward 2013."

With a win over Texas Christian University in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl on Dec. 29, Michigan State can secure a winning record.

"It's big, it defines and winning program and a losing program for that year," Dantonio said. "We want to make sure that it is on the front end, the winning end."